by Emma Walton HamiltonWriting picture books is something akin to writing poetry. With industry standards for word count getting ever shorter, authors must assess the value of every word they write. Each it, and, the or suddenly must be essential, and earn its right to be there. As Francine Prose says, “Put every word on trial for its life!”

We ferret out modifiers, generic or passive language, repetition and redundancy. We focus on action rather than exposition, and avoid writing what the art will show. And because picture books are intended to be read aloud, they should also delight the ear – so we play with language: lyricism, rhythm, refrain, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification.

Economy in writing is an art, and there’s no better way to learn that art than to study the work of those who have mastered it. The following selections are an excellent start:

1. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen. Talk about not writing what the art will show! At 275 words, Barnett’s text is lean as can be – few adjectives or adverbs, except for that all-important refrain “something spectacular.” Plus a delicious mystery ending, inviting all kinds of follow-up conversation.

2. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild and 3. My Teacher is a Monster! by Peter Brown. Deftly balances narrative with dialogue, and minimizes word count with speech bubbles instead of dialogue tags. Both books invite us to discover as we read, rather than relying on set up or exposition.

4. Waiting, by Kevin Henkes. At 270 words (less than half the length of a typical Henkes book,) this sweet and quirky tale packs an existential wallop. The basic elements of a child’s life – nature, friendship, comings and goings, sleep, the art of patience – are explored with simple, lyrical narrative incorporating repetition and refrain.

5. The Dark, by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen. Snicket ratchets up the tension by utilizing the senses– sights, sounds, textures. Narrative turns to dialogue as the amount of text per page shrinks to mirror the pacing (with the exception of one anomalous, intrusive monologue. I still can’t figure out what Snicket was up to there.)

6. The Adventures of Beekle, by Dan Santat. So much emotion conveyed with a single sentence, accompanied by rich, imaginative artwork. “But his turn never came.” “He did the unimaginable.” “He had a good feeling about this place.” No need to say more when the artwork does all the heavy lifting.

7. The Way Back Home, by Oliver Jeffers. How little needs explaining! We don’t need to know why a boy has a plane in his closet, or how he can fly it to the moon. We don’t need to know where the alien is from, or how the new friends communicate. We don’t even need to know names. We follow the simple narrative action, and believe that aliens exist, little boys can climb alpine peaks and ropes to the moon, and - from the final, wordless image - that the two will be friends forever.

8. Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Is anyone better at word play? “But he just wasn’t like anyone else. Period.” “It was like he broke free from a life-sentence.” “He went off to make his mark.” And a kid-friendly character journey to boot.

9. Shh! We Have a Plan! By Chris Haughton. A fun, circular story told in 102 words, comprised entirely of dialogue and refrain.

10. If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead. Alliteration, repetition and refrain delight the ear as the quest unfolds through whimsical illustrations.

Emma is giving away one Editor in a Box revision kit at the conclusion of ReFoReMo! This kit will put your manuscript through a soup-to-nuts revision process that will make it sparkle! Thank you, Emma! To be eligible for this prize, you must be fully registered, comment on every post, read daily, and keep a record of your progress.

EMMA WALTON HAMILTONis a best-selling children’s book author, editor and arts educator. With her mother, actress/author Julie Andrews, Emma has co-authored over thirty children’s books, seven of which have been on the NY Times Bestseller list, including The Very Fairy Princess series (#1 Bestseller), Julie Andrews Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies, the Dumpy the Dump Truck series,Simeon’s Gift, The Great American Mousical, and Thanks to You – Wisdom from Mother and Child.

Emma’s own book, RAISING BOOKWORMS: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment, premiered as a #1 best-seller on Amazon.com in the literacy category and won a Parent’s Choice Gold Medal.

Emma is a faculty member of Stony Brook Southampton’s MFA in Creative Writing and Literature, where she teaches all forms of children’s book writing and serves as Director of the Children’s Literature Fellows program and the Executive Director of the Young Artists and Writers Project (YAWP), an interdisciplinary writing program for middle and high school students.

Emma is also an award-winning freelance children’s book editor, and hosts the Just Write Children’s Books self-paced, home-study courses in writing picture books, chapter books and middle grade and young adult novels. Visit Emma at http://emmawaltonhamilton.com.

It's hard to "kill our darlings" (words) when we have so few to begin with in PBs, but these great mentor texts show why it's so important!

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Sue Poduska

3/1/2016 05:16:12 am

Fantastic examples! Thanks so much for the words of wisdom and for your beautiful books.

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Sharon Constantino

3/1/2016 05:23:23 am

Thank you Emma for the tips. The hardest part for me is condensing what I want to say. I've already read many on the list but they are all definitely worth a re-read. Thanks for the great opportunity, my fingers are crossed!

Great points to consider. I have trouble eliminating words when there are no pictures yet to direct the action. I need to keep in mind the story will eventually be illustrated but sometimes that's hard to do. I love the idea of speech bubbles to save on word count.

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Jodi Mckay

3/1/2016 06:22:02 am

With so much to think about when writing a picture book, it's so helpful to examine the ones that got it right. Thank you, Emma, for not only giving us examples of those books, but for shining a light on the elements that made them work.

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Leah Heilman Schanke

3/1/2016 06:31:56 am

I greatly appreciate learnimg how each book hits the mark. My stories tend to run long, and these are great examples of tight, effective writing.

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DeLeon

3/1/2016 06:50:27 am

Thank you so much, Emma. Shrinking the text to its essentials is not an easy task. But your choice of mentor texts is delightful and they prove your point: "Less is More."

I loved the line of "writing to delight the ear" -- and those are fabulous teaching texts to do just that.

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Doris Stone

3/1/2016 06:58:37 am

Emma, your advice about choosing our words carefully really hit home. Thank you for your insights. Now, that I've printed out your post and it's on the table next to me, I'm looking forward to a day of reading PB and dissecting them.

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MaryLee Flannigan

3/1/2016 07:04:29 am

Thank you for your advice and insight.

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Mary Boehmer

3/1/2016 07:05:30 am

Thank you for sharing your expertise with us, very insightful and wonderful book examples. Considering word count, does the complexity of "Word Count" impact your creative process?

Actually, I find the word count challenge to enhance the creative process - at least in revision. I love ferreting out unnecessary words, and finding ways to be more economical and specific at the same time...

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Manju Howard

3/1/2016 07:09:27 am

I love Shh! We Have A Plan - It's based on a quote by Albert Einstein. "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

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Joana Pastro

3/4/2016 07:32:47 am

I love that. The book sends that message perfectly. Thanks!

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Amy Murrell

3/1/2016 07:11:52 am

Thank you, Emma for sharing these texts for ideas. They are great examples of full stories with sparse text. Using few words is my greatest weakness. I will really dig through these today and especially look for tools that you mention, things like dialogue bubbles and powerful refrains. Thank you!

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Sharon Putnam

3/1/2016 07:19:46 am

Thank you, Emma for giving us a peek at why these picture books work. The most difficult part for me is cutting words without losing “the magic” of the story.

Thank you Emma! You've highlighted several of my favorite picture books (including Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, which would be a contender for top spot if I ever had to pick just one). I gravitate towards and write manuscripts that allow the pictures to play a big part of revealing part of the story - for me, that's part of the wonder of the picture book! Thank you for addressing that in your post - giving the art a lead role is a key way to economize our words.

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Lucky Jo Boscarino

3/1/2016 07:31:59 am

RE: The Dark, the long monologue provides a key dramatic pause as Laszlo ventures into the scariest part of his house. It is a perfectly creepy moment with the reader standing there in the dark with Laszlo, and this unseen narrator starts talking to YOU.

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Melanie Ellsworth

3/1/2016 08:44:05 am

The first time I read THE DARK with my daughter, I was taken aback by the monologue which seemed to thrust us out of the story. But the next time we read it together, I had the reaction you mention - that the monologue upped the tension as we waited in the dark with Laszlo.

Yes, I agree. Plus it's classic quirky Snicket, I think--it was reminiscent of his monologue-like descriptions in A Series of Unfortunate Events. We get a kick out of the monologue every time, but I can see how it sort of ups the dramatic pause, too. The Dark is one of my favorites! :)

Word count! I will be paying special attention to the books authored but not illustrated by the same person since I have nary an artistic bone in my body! I'll strip the text from the illustrations to get a good idea of what stories sold on words alone.

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Kathy Halsey

3/1/2016 07:54:44 am

Emma, such a great way to kick off the month. Economy in words and each word must earn its place. When in revision mode, I love winnowing away words. Each word is on trial! Yes.

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Beverly Marsh

3/1/2016 07:57:06 am

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and expertise. Waiting is now one of my favorite picture books.

Love each one of these books! Thanks so very, VERY much for the insight. Great post!

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Lindsay Hanson Metcalf

3/1/2016 08:34:13 am

Great examples of masterful word economy. I really like the example you gave about the Oliver Jeffers book, where the reader gets little explanation, but it works.

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Debra Shumaker

3/1/2016 08:35:34 am

Great post. I can't imagine succeeding in writing a story with such low word count. What a great list of mentor texts to help me get there. . . Thanks!

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Kirsten Larson

3/1/2016 08:37:40 am

I love Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, especially because all of the page-turning tension is shown in the illustrations. It's brilliant work.

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Melanie Ellsworth

3/1/2016 08:38:29 am

These are terrific examples and show how you can accomplish the goal of low word count in very different ways. Each of these books has such a unique voice.

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Melissa Rutigliano

3/1/2016 08:42:32 am

Emma, I loved Sam and Dave dig a Hole. The pictures were truly the story-and I thought it was appealing how the readers know what the characters (except the dog it seems) do not know the whole time. This leads me to a major question that has been my concern and now this book really emphasizes my concern; when I submit a manuscript it is my understanding that it should just be the words. However, for the personal story I am working on-very much how Sam and Dave dig a hole is- I don't understand how manuscripts are picked up without the accompanying illustrations to help tell that story. I feel like submitting just a manuscript w words leaves off half the story that the illustrations tell. Can someone shed some advice on how that process of submitting manuscripts without the pictures works?? Thanks!!!

You are correct that manuscripts written by authors only (as opposed to author/illustrators) should be submitted without illustrations. Picture book editors are very adept at visualizing what the action could - or should - be, and they want to leave room for illustrators to bring their own unique vision to the project. Editors also want to contribute their own ideas along with the in-house art director, who is also a member of the team. This means that we should avoid including any illustration notes, except in those instances where the action in the story can't inferred from the text alone. So - no description of settings, characters, gestures or mannerisms, or even action scenes if the action is obvious or the outcome is not critical to the plot or resolution of the story. A good rule of thumb: When in doubt, leave them out!
But in the event that you DO need an illustration note to clarify something in the story - such as when something is being told visually that is not in the text, or when the action is in opposition to the text - there are two types of notes you can include:
1) A general note that applies to the whole manuscript - most often used if there is an overarching detail that isn't obvious from or referred to in the text, such as the fact that the main character is a hippopotamus.

2) A specific illustration note that amplifies a visual moment that is critical to a scene, page or line - and that isn’t obvious from the text.

In this case, you would place the note in parentheses and italics, like this: (ILLUSTRATION NOTE: Helen is a hippopotamus)

Hope that's helpful!

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Jill Jeffries

3/1/2016 08:43:07 am

Yes, low word picture books really are poetry. These are great examples, thank you very much! I'll continue to read and study them.

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone! So glad the post is of value to you in your writing!

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Melissa Rutigliano

3/1/2016 10:56:45 am

Emma, I loved Sam and Dave dig a Hole. The pictures were truly the story-and I thought it was appealing how the readers know what the characters (except the dog it seems) do not know the whole time. This leads me to a major question that has been my concern and now this book really emphasizes my concern; when I submit a manuscript it is my understanding that it should just be the words. However, for the personal story I am working on-very much how Sam and Dave dig a hole is- I don't understand how manuscripts are picked up without the accompanying illustrations to help tell that story. I feel like submitting just a manuscript w words leaves off half the story that the illustrations tell. Can someone shed some advice on how that process of submitting manuscripts without the pictures works?? Thanks!!!

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Kelly Rice Schmitt

3/1/2016 08:53:10 am

I really enjoyed this post. I appreciate seeing examples of texts that you think do sparse text well. It's getting harder to get longer works published, and this is a beautiful collection of masterful storytelling with few words. Thank you for your wisdom.

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Stephanie Gray

3/1/2016 08:53:39 am

I read the 6 I had aloud to my 3.5 year old. My favorite was "If You Want to See a Whale." His favorites were "My Teacher is a Monster" (and he definitely picked up on the teacher's physical changes in the illustrations) and Waiting (which he asked me to read a second time).

Thanks for the informative post, Emma. The examples are wonderful. Can't wait to revisit them with your words in mind.

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Mary Worley

3/1/2016 09:02:12 am

I'm always impressed with how much story authors can pack into so few words. It's interesting to note that 6/10 examples are by author/illustrators. Two others are by teams that collaborate during the process. An interview of with Lemony Snicket (DH) mentioned how much of his story had to be cut after JK started illustrating it. The last one—Julie Fogliano book— has me curious if the words were complete before Erin E. Stead did the illustrations? I'm just trying to figure out that golden ratio to keep it tight but intelligible.

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Darlene Ivy

3/8/2016 07:18:19 pm

I also noticed how often the books were by author/illustrators. It would be wonderful to create both phases at one time.

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Rosie Taylor

3/1/2016 09:02:51 am

Great lessons here and the big choices inspire me. Thank you.

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Katie Parnell

3/1/2016 09:07:29 am

Thank you Emma. I tend to struggle with cutting words from my stories and these are all great examples of how limited word use can enhance the story! I can't wait to go back and start eliminating unnecessary words from my manuscripts!

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Katelyn Aronson

3/1/2016 09:08:15 am

I love love love this post! Thank you, Emma Walton Hamilton. So many wonderful examples, and I am a big fan of both Oliver Jeffer's and Amy Krouse Rosenthal's brevity in all of their books. They really show that simplicity can equal beauty.

This especially hits home with me since I'm trying so hard to reflect the ever-younger, ever-briefer pb style in my own writing. Just wrote a 331-word ms. Getting there!

I can't wait to re-read your picks, Emma! Thanks for an insightful and informative post!

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Lori Dubbin

3/1/2016 09:20:39 am

Thank you for helping us stay on the low word count track. Your wonderful post has put me in revision mode!

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Julia Wasson

3/1/2016 09:20:40 am

So hard for new PB writers to understand the connection between what the art can explain and what it cannot, and must be written. Thank you for the great examples and explanations!

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Susan Deo

3/1/2016 09:30:54 am

Emma,
Thank you so much for your analysis of these great books. Now I'm more than excited to go back and read them with new eyes and ears. One of the challenges of being a writer/not illustrator is that you are painting a picture with your words and it's difficult to pull back and allow another unknown person's creativity to fill in some of the images. I try to remind myself that the readers do this too, so what's one more person! In a lot of ways it gives your own words even more power--as an "imagination trigger!"

I'm a little late, but I did find a few of these selected books. I am reading this morning. I did want to comment on Emma Walton Hamilton's lovely comments in describing those elements that make writing and ultimately reading...so wonderful! "lyricism, rhythm, refrain, alliteration, onomatopeia, personification...." The descriptions of the books invited me in as well...thanks

I typically read between 300-400 picture books each year...some oldies but goodies and a lot of the ones published within the past 5 years. I like the way Emma simplifies the complexity of the picture book narrative.

Great post!

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Ellen Leventhal

3/1/2016 09:52:50 am

I love these books, but I wonder how much collaboration there was with the illustrator. Clearly there had to be illustration notes or collaboration on some of these. Great post and great books. Thanks, Emma!

Thank you for the great start to ReFoReMo. Love your mentor texts. One of the most common comments in my PB critique group is "Move to illo."--another way of saying (let the illustrator) show, don't tell. Allowing room for illustration is an essential part of cutting back on words.

Thanks for all you do for kids and kidlit! Lots of good tips and things to look for in this first stack of picture books.

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Sandy Powell

3/1/2016 10:09:53 am

I haven't jumped on board with the low word count in picture books yet. For me, after reading many of them I feel unsatisfied.
Although, I love "The Adventures of Beekle." Dan Santat's artwork is amazing and the text in his book is beautifully written.

Thanks for your insights, Emma. I spent yesterday looking over these books and Counting Words! I really like the idea of trying a story all in dialog, so "Sh-h-h" and Dan Santat's books were fun to read.

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Janine Johns

3/1/2016 10:15:11 am

Thank you for getting us off to a good start! Great examples of sparse text. I also like Marsha Diane Arnold's new book, LOST. FOUND.

I'm guessing that took much restraint by Kevin Henkes to contain his word count. Many of his earlier stories are available as audio books, since they can work without the pictures, but Waiting requires the reader to drink in those pictures and dream, especially on the wordless spreads.

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Heidi Yates

3/1/2016 10:32:49 am

Thank you Emma. I loved reading these books once again, paying extra attention to the word choice. It was a very helpful exercise.

Thanks for sharing these superb examples of economy in writing. I love how, in "The Way Back Home," the boy just happens to find an airplane in his closet. So brilliantly understated that it works!

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Barbara Kupetzx

3/1/2016 10:37:18 am

What a great way to start! Thanks for reminding us of something that is so important in our writing.

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Sara Gentry

3/1/2016 10:38:37 am

Thank you for the post and reading suggestions. I LOVE Exclamation Mark - how had I missed this one?

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Rosie Pova

3/1/2016 10:42:13 am

Just what I needed! I've been struggling lately with a manuscript, going back and forth on how much action to include in the text when so much can simply be shown in the pictures. I wasn't exactly sure if my writing is getting "lazy" when I start leaving things out... so thank you, Emma and Carrie!

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Joy Main

3/1/2016 10:43:17 am

Great selection, thank you. I have to get better at visualising the illustrations to reduce the amount of text needed to tell the story.

This is when being an author/illustrator really comes in handy! Notice how many economic picture books are written and illustrated by the same person. Not all, but many. I need to work beyond stick figures evidently!

Thanks for the presentation. I was really surprised at the number of words used in some of these books. THE DARK is very poetic and at first I thought I was reading a chapter book and waited to see what will happen to the little boy. That's before I remembered I was reading a PB. The way the author sped up the action is by prolonging the outcome and adding suspense. It's quite clever and allows the author so much leeway with poetry and very long sentences.

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Michele Manning

3/1/2016 11:11:36 am

Thank you for your insights, Emma. I read the books, made my own comments on each, then re-read your post and it opened my eyes to aspects I hadn't noticed before. So, of course I read them again (thankful for the low word count!).

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Nancy Ramsey

3/1/2016 11:12:48 am

Thanks, Emma! I love the mentor texts you selected. Great start to ReFoReMo!

I was struck by the big patch of text on the opening spread of Beekle: 28 words, or 1/10 of the total word count all on the first page! It's a good reminder that economy is not only about cutting words but also about making sure that the words are where they need to be.

Thanks Emma! I love the quote by Francine Prose, “Put every word on trial for its life!” Question for those who are author/illustrators - is economy of word count easier for you because you know what you want the art to convey?

No, not for me. I think and write visually and sometimes lyrically, so I often have a hard time cutting out words because I love they way they sound, or how they set up the scene. The story usually starts out long and I cut away piece by piece to get to the nugget of it all.

Love how the Peter Brown stories show an unexpected side of Mr. Tiger and the teacher. Fun reads!

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Rene` Diane Aube

3/1/2016 01:13:11 pm

Thanks for helping us dig out the golden nuggets in picture books, Emma! :) Happy ReFoReMo Day 1

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Linda Chavez

3/1/2016 01:17:07 pm

Exactly Exactly Exactly what I needed to hear today! I'm slowly whittling down my pb manuscript. It was 1,136 words. Today it is 636 words. Tomorrow? Even better! Thanks for the timely advice.

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Mary Jo

3/1/2016 01:18:43 pm

I'll take any opportunity to read "Exclamation Mark" and "The Dark" over and over again. They are two of my favs. And with your insight, Emma, I get to read them with new eyes. And, as I'm a serial-word-count-violator, maybe they will help break my verbose ways.

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Valarie Giogas

3/1/2016 01:22:21 pm

What a great group of example, all for different reasons. Thanks for a terrific start to ReFoReMo.

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Lisa Billa

3/1/2016 01:26:27 pm

Thank you! These are some favorites and a great way to start. Revising my own work with the aim to use just enough words for childrens' (and illustrator's) imaginations to do the rest. I wish I were an artist!

"Both books invite us to discover as we read, rather than relying on set up or exposition." Love that line. Looking at short texts makes me long to be an author-illustrator. So many of the best short pbs are by a/i. Sigh... (That monologue in THE DARK totally confuses me, too.)

Right?! I so often WISH I were an author/illustrator! But then again, there's such a unique thrill to writing something that an illustrator then illuminates in surprising and delightful ways... that take your breath away and enrich the story more than you could have imagined. Just one example of the magic of picture books!

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Joana Pastro

3/4/2016 07:55:29 am

I agree. I read "The Dark" several times to see if the monologue would eventually make sense to me. It didn't.

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Deborah Allmand

3/1/2016 02:30:35 pm

Great examples of making every word count! Most books I have already read but a few I must read. Thank you for the post and fabulous prize!

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Ginger Weddle

3/1/2016 02:31:38 pm

Emma, Every time I read one of your posts or see one of your webinars, I learn something new. Often I learn a lot. And today's post is exceptional! Thank you once again!!!

Thank you, Emma! I always love your advice. :) I like the use of speech bubbles to eliminate tags - it's a great way to minimize word count. I've written many pbs that way. Thanks again - we're off to a great start!

Thanks for the post, Emma. It's been fascinating to see how much more eagerly a child will participate in a story if you don't smother them with words. The trick for us, of course, is to pare down to just the right words, the ones essential to the story.

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Sheri R

3/1/2016 03:45:19 pm

I was surprised that some of her insights I had picked out myself. Others I need to keep looking for in mentor text. And to see that the words in speech bubbles don't count into the actual word count of the story. Thanks for breaking them down.

Turns out I own seven out of these ten books! Nice to know I share taste with Emma Walton Hamilton--that's always an encouraging sing. If my reading is on the right track my writing is sure to follow...

I like how you mentioned that in The Way Back Home there is no explanation about how an airplane showed up in his closet. As adult writers we think we should explain things so this is a good insight for me.

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Angela

3/1/2016 05:01:12 pm

Thanks for really informative start! You really highlight the skill and talent needed to write a picture book!

More insight from the incomparable Emma Walton Hamilton. Thank you!! Reading excellent mentor texts in a group is eye opening and so very valuable. It is different than just reading random picture books - it lets you see, in a concrete way, best practices. Great way to begin Day 1!

Oh my dear Emma...PUT EVERY WORD ON TRIAL! They are surely going to throw the book at me for all the ands, ifs, buts, and whatnot that are lurking about in my manuscripts sometimes. I'll be put in jail for the rest of my writing life. ;)

This is important advice for all of us..and I do thank you. ;) Wonderful post...as usual, Emma, you deliver the goods!

It is so interesting to see the interplay between words and pictures. It is very enlightening.

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Melissa Rutigliano

3/1/2016 05:25:00 pm

The Adventures of Beekle The reappearance of "the unimaginable" was such a powerful re-quote. I loved that aspect.

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Natalie Lynn Tanner

3/1/2016 05:35:56 pm

I completely agree with you, Emma: "Economy in writing is an art," Word count is ALWAYS an issue for me. That's why I spend SO MUCH time researching/reading children's books (they're ME books, too!). That's also why ReFoReMo is SO IMPORTANT: to really help us hone these skills. I ADORE the work you and your Mother have given to the world of children's literature! THANK YOU!

Great post. Good reminders to scrutinize every word we write - and leave a lot to the illustrator.

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Laura Renauld

3/1/2016 06:00:02 pm

It is always great to see how economy of language benefits a story and how illustration can step in to "do the heavy lifting."

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Angie Quantrell

3/1/2016 06:04:42 pm

Love this post and the books to read! I love low-word books that amaze me with the brevity but clear, engaging stories! Thanks, Emma!

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Linda Thomas

3/1/2016 06:17:55 pm

Thank you Emma for these wonderful examples of economy in words. I'm learning that every word must count and also sing!

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Samantha Baker

3/1/2016 06:27:26 pm

Great start to the study! I loved looking at the books you chose as examples! Do words in the pictures "speech bubbles" count as part of your word count?

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Jeannie Bossert

3/1/2016 06:32:47 pm

Had read only a few. Had heard of only a few. So thankful for the inter library loan service in my county. Have ordered those I've not read. Then, I will read each comment above again before and after I read the books. Thanks big time.

Love each and every ones of these books. Cleverly told and every word counts.

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Megan Taraszkiewicz

3/1/2016 07:03:03 pm

Loved these books (and my kids did too!). I wish I wrote Exclamation Mark-so perfectly clever. Thank you for your post.

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Cathy Breisacher

3/1/2016 07:21:37 pm

The mentor texts today are some of my favorite picture books. What a great set of books to start this journey. Emma's comments shed so much light on the importance of brevity when writing. Economy of language is so important, but yet I love the emphasis on not eliminating the words that make the story lyrical and fun to read.

Absolutely nothing like the exquisite poetry of a short text picture book! And I love the process of paring away and paring away to the essential words only. Thanks for gathering this great list together, Emma! Lots of my favorites.

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Anne-Marie Strohman

3/1/2016 08:17:45 pm

I heard an interview with Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler). He explained that he and Klassen went back and forth with the illustrations and text, and he kept cutting words because the illustrations did the work. I wonder if the monologue is something more akin to an earlier "final" draft of the book.

Thank you, Emma, for selecting Kevin Henkes' WAITING. My heart melted. So few words, and yet a most completely developed story. The illustrations complete the magic of "this sweet and quirky' tale". I can't help myself--I'm buying this one.

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Maureen Morrison

3/1/2016 09:25:23 pm

I agree Denise! I'll wanted to check out all the Kevin Henke books, but decided to leave some for the kids. (for now.)

It got me thinking if writers can manage to be more lean with their text if they illustrate the story as well- or if they're in a highly collaborative relationship with the illustrator.

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Janie Reinart

3/1/2016 08:53:55 pm

Great selections and comments. Thank you.

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Lisa Morgan

3/1/2016 09:08:01 pm

Thank you Emma! I enjoyed "seeing" you again today. You were a great deal of help during the Picture Book Summit! This selection of books was a great deal of fun and very helpful when considering word count. I enjoyed reading the lines and imagining what the story would read like without the pictures.

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Zainab Khan

3/1/2016 09:11:50 pm

Thank you Emma for a fabulous post. I want to reread these books. They are gems!

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Cindy Cornwall

3/1/2016 09:16:57 pm

Less is definitely more... thanks for your insight Emma!

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Dina Ticas

3/1/2016 09:34:29 pm

These were wonderful selections to start with. Each is special in it's own way. I'm hooked on the speech bubbles as it reminds me of being a young writer in 3rd grade. Thanks for the post.

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Lisa Williams

3/1/2016 09:39:45 pm

I love it when books depend on illustrations to help move along the story such as in Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Another book where the illustrations really help fill in the story is Lane Smith's Grandpa Green which I love. Thanks for your post, Emma!

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Emily J

3/1/2016 09:40:49 pm

Thank you Emma. I have been looking forward to your post, and it didn't disappoint! You are always so helpful! Thanks again.

Wonderful reading list. MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER is one of my favorites and I finally ordered my own copy this week. It came in the mail today and my kids literally shrieked with they saw it. (I shrieked a little myself too, I must admit.) :) Thank you for the great post, Emma!

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Susan Zonca

3/1/2016 10:01:52 pm

Such helpful examples. Thank you, Emma. As an additional experience I read the stories without taking into account the illustrations so I could better focus on the words alone. What an eye opener. The book that made my day? "Mr. Tiger Goes Wild"

These picture books truly are examples of marriages between texts and illustrations. I am also reminded the author must leave room for the illustrator to do what they do best tell the story with their artwork

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Suzanne Poulter Harris

3/1/2016 10:17:13 pm

Great mentor texts, Emma. I look forward to studying them with new eyes.

Thank you for the wonderful insights! Great way to start the month. I couldn't agree more about the importance of every word beig just right in a picture book. Can't wait to learn more tomorrow!

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Shelley Kinder

3/1/2016 10:28:05 pm

Thank you, Emma, for a great article. I've read some of those books, but not all...must get them from the library soon! Something I thought of after reading through some of the comments is my experience with Susanna Hill's Halloweensie contest, where you could only have 100 words in the story. If I had written that story with no word limit, no doubt, it would have had a lot more than 100 words, BUT I realized that having the limit really helped me to see that I WAS able to write a full story with just 100 words. And 100 words was all it really NEEDED to get the point across.

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Lisa Williams

3/1/2016 10:32:59 pm

This article has really given me food for thought in regard to minimizing words and utilizing illustrations to maximize the impact of the story and help build the story. Thanks!

I fell in love with Oliver Jeffers last year during ReFoReMo... I've NOT read this book (The Way Back Home)! I will be hunting this one out! Cutting the fat from a story is so difficult! I laugh any time someone "suggests" that writing picture books is a breeze! HA!!!

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Kristen Browning

3/1/2016 11:02:38 pm

Thanks for the insightful post. I am enjoying re-reading some of the books from last year's challenge and looking at them in new ways. I like WAITING and BEEKLE even more this time around. The illustrations in BEEKLE are amazing. I was surprised that I liked THE DARK more on this reading. I did not enjoy it last year. I still don't like the creepy, foreboding atmosphere. It scares me a bit, even as an adult! I feel so sorry for the boy in that big house alone. I read some comments above about the monologue. I really disliked it on my last reading. But this time, I didn't mind it. It relieved, rather than upped the tension for me. It seems very comforting--an explanation of the scary things and why we need them--and gives me courage to proceed to the scariest part of the story. Maybe there's a bit of foreshadowing there, too? It reminds me of a biblical explanation of opposition in all things: you need the bad to appreciate the good; you need sickness to appreciate being well/healthy, etc. To me, the monologue says we need the dark to appreciate the light and to find the courage in ourselves to face the dark and find the light(bulb). If everything was light and happy all the time, would we need courage? Would we discover that strength in ourselves? I rather like this book now :)

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Sandy Perlic

3/1/2016 11:11:59 pm

Writing lean is definitely an area that I need to master better, so I'm glad I have some mentor texts to turn to. I tend to like the "voice" that comes through with a few additional words. Let's see what I can economize on.

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Trine

3/1/2016 11:25:07 pm

It is really helpful to have several of the books you mention to re-read and discover more about each story and learn more about our craft. Thanks for your observations.

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Jilanne Hoffmann

3/1/2016 11:29:49 pm

I agree about that monologue in the middle of The Dark. But it did remind me of the times Handler has riffed on a point while speaking to a group. Thanks for the analysis and reading suggestions!

Thank you Emma for your great examples of less is more now to use these to write my next story

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Chantra Tham

3/2/2016 12:50:41 am

Thanks for the insight. It is definitely helpful to what kind of writer, thinker, and artist I am.

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Angela Dale

3/2/2016 02:49:13 am

Great texts - and illustrations. I notice that the majority of these are Author / Illustrator. As a writer but not an illustrator, I struggle with the push-pull of spare text / let half the story be told in the illustrations v. the mandate to include few to no illustration notes.

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Cheryl Kim

3/2/2016 04:20:07 am

Wow, thank you for taking the time to share your insights and these mentor texts with us! I learned so much from this post and am looking forward to reading and rereading all the books you highlighted. Thanks again!!

Fabulous selections to get things started! As primarily an Illustrator, I loved studying how each of these books were driven visually. I had already read some of them, but others were new to me, and I found a new favorite--"Shh, We Have a Plan." What a fun read!

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Cecilia McCarthy

3/2/2016 10:05:35 am

Writing less takes so much skill. Thanks for these terrific examples to learn from.

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Maria Marshall

3/2/2016 10:12:42 am

Emma, thank you so much. As always you are the master at finding and explaining the craft of picture books. Like Vivian, I own and cherish many of these books. But as always, you surprise us with additional examples we hadn't discovered. I had not seen The Dark and have spent the day reading it many times. In addition to economy of words, the author uses space and placement so ingeniously.
Thank you for the best start to this year's ReFoReMo!

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Geralyn

3/2/2016 10:36:43 am

Today's reading was eye opening in that I saw that not every book that is published and considered good is perfect. Example that one page in "dark" that had to many words and how difficult "if you want to see a whale" was to read aloud! Every book I read today was a learning experience! Thanks!!!

What a wonderful post on word economy. The limits are getting smaller and smaller, which I wonder if it is a trend that will last a while. Some of these books are magical and wonderful and the illustrations define so much that is implied. Some leave me wanting a little more. They are all superbly done, it is just a preference of mine. I like a little meat on the bones with either the illustrations or the words. :)

Paring down my own stories is hard, even as an illustrator and writer. This was a very useful post and a great list of mentor texts! Thank you!

Very helpful analysis of these delightful picture books. Thanks, Emma!

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Tracey Brown

3/2/2016 11:40:49 am

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,..."
Not comparing myself to Dickens in any way other than word count. :)
Thank you Emma, for providing some excellent examples of economy in writing. Revision time!

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Suzy Leopold

3/2/2016 12:17:26 pm

Thank you, Emma, for sharing outstanding PB titles. Your many thoughts and words of wisdom are helpful to me as a writer *under construction*.

Thank your for the valuable lesson in this post. I reread all of these titles a few times and studied them. I find it a little easier for the text to be more sparse when the author is also the illustrator.

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Joan Kassmann

3/2/2016 02:15:16 pm

Running a little behind here ... Read and enjoyed most of your suggested books. So very hard to let go of some of those words because it feels like I am only telling half of my story. Cut one of mine down from 535 to 477 but am finding it very hard to part with any more. This is a hard lesson to follow but honestly looking back at my new 477-word story, it is much fresher and uncluttered. Will continue working at it. Thank you Emma!

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Carla Ketner

3/2/2016 03:50:21 pm

As someone else said, it's a challenge to create a word picture when you can't use your words, so author-illustrators may have an advantage with this type of book. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it requires thinking outside the box--which is a good reminder, anyway!

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Ashley Bankhead

3/2/2016 04:22:23 pm

What a great post. There were so many good examples. Thanks for sharing.

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Pia Garneau

3/2/2016 04:48:58 pm

I love all those books you referenced because of their economy of words. Thanks for your post.

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Darlene Frybarger

3/2/2016 08:40:13 pm

What a wonderful selection of books! Definitely looking forward to reading these!

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Pamela Courtney

3/2/2016 11:05:30 pm

Man oh man, is this a lesson I need to learn. I write the way I speak. Way too much. After reading this post Emma, I do get it. Purposeful writing, being considerate to description, word economy (love that by the way) is what I will be encouraging my critique group to discuss in great detail. I'm so excited about that conversation. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

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Marlene Rohr

3/2/2016 11:45:07 pm

Thank you Emma for this great article!

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Tootie Nienow

3/2/2016 11:57:29 pm

Great selection of books. These economy of word books are great for library read aloud so.

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Rebecca Trembula

3/3/2016 07:11:20 am

I sometimes make a game of reading published picture books and looking for things to cut out of it...but at the same time, I remember reading somewhere that "Kids love long books--it's the parents and publishers who make them short!" And there can be something lost from the author's voice. The thing is even in a longer book the words need to be deliberately there. They need to have a role, a justification. If absent, they need to be missed not by the author (for whom every word is precious), but by the reader.

Sometimes the task of revising and editing can be tedious but your blog makes us see how valuable it is to know the essentials of a book for young children and let their imaginations roam through your words to the illustrations and their minds. I am learning more the last 2 months at 12X12 and here than i have known as a teacher. i love words and poetry so I have to learn to cut! Thank you.

I checked out 50 books in the last couple of weeks and counted 28 as having the same person as author/illustrator. I would think that author/illustrators have an advantage in this market. A very helpful post in word economy...difficult for me. Excellent mentor texts! Thanks!

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Monique Wakefield

3/3/2016 03:03:27 pm

Thank you for the wonderful advice. All these titles are fantastic:)

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sue twiggs

3/3/2016 04:06:00 pm

I enjoyed studying these books tremendously. My favorites were Mr Tiger and Beekle. I did not like Waiting and Exclamation Mark. i thought E. Mark is really written for parents. Clever but for a preschooler, really! Lots to think about here. thanks for starting off ReForRe Mo

Emma, thank you for these beautiful and specific examples of "economy in writing." What a great beginning for ReFoReMo 2016!

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Lauren Barbieri

3/4/2016 08:57:42 am

These are such clean, concise, and engaging works--thank you for suggesting. I'm looking forward to dissecting them during a closer look.

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LuAnn Kern

3/4/2016 11:08:40 am

Thanks for bringing these books to my attention. Great examples of how each word is powerfully played in the stories.

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Angela De Groot

3/4/2016 11:14:16 am

Great post. Thanks for pairing a short analysis with each mentor text. And these are such fun reads, too. Bonus!

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Kristen Schroeder

3/4/2016 11:38:18 am

Great start to ReFoReMo. Excited to spend time with all these amazing picture books!

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lilli

3/4/2016 08:55:26 pm

Thank you for such great examples of words and pictures needing each other for the complete story. I LOVE this about picture books! Sometimes I like isolating the text from the pictures and thinking: What could another illustrator have done...? The possibilities are endless!

"Writing picture books is something akin to writing poetry." I think about this a lot! It's one reason I've been so drawn to poetry and have a foot in that world with poetry workshops and works in progress. Thank you for showing how each of these texts shows mastery of the art of economy in writing. And, please let your mom know that she is partially (perhaps largely!) responsible for my exchange year to Austria as a high school senior :-). I had studied Spanish for four years, but when the brochure arrived from American Field Service, with brief descriptions of countries exchange students could go to, I saw Austria listed and immediately thought of the Sound of Music and knew I wanted to go there. I put Austria first on my list and was matched with an Austrian family who became the gift of a lifetime :-).

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Annie Bailey

3/6/2016 02:08:45 am

I'm excited to read these titles! Thank you for your great post!

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Marilyn Garcia

3/6/2016 10:21:19 am

These are some of my favorite recently published picture books, so I'm giving myself a pat on the back that Emma also thinks they're great.:). Something that I don't hear many people talk about when word count and repetition are discussed is their importance to English Language learners. So many popular books rely on humor and word play that an ELL child CANNOT possibly understand. When the illustrations are doing the heavy lifting, all the kids can "get" the story and the ELL kids can even master a few simple words. Win-win all around.

Small word count is one of my greatest challenges. I never thought to study it quite so closely like this before. Thank you for pointing these great books out. I found a couple of new inspirations!

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Bruna de luca

3/7/2016 01:11:59 am

Writing lean - the ultimate goal! Thanks for all the examples. I really struggle with this one, not because I'm particularly verbose but because I often get feedback that my manuscript is confusing!

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Amanda Sincavage

3/7/2016 01:21:02 am

Thanks Emma! What a great list of books! Incidentally, I am still waiting on "Waiting" and can't find "The Way Back Home." Can't wait to get my hands on Beekle again! My 1-year old loved "Mr. Tiger Goes Wild" - another one to add to my wish list...

Such great information! The economy of words is the most critical lesson I can think of in the PB journey. Thanks for sharing this specific group of books!

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Suzy Leopold

3/7/2016 05:55:43 pm

Thank you, Emma, for the reminder to examine each word. If it is not necessary, cut it.

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Darlene Ivy

3/8/2016 07:21:14 pm

I am late to the party, but coming anyway. I am a big fan of refrains and repeated lines that listeners can chime in on during story time. I was pleased that so many of these books included a refrain, often a short refrain, but a refrain nonetheless. There is hope that the lower word count standards haven't erased the possibility of the refrain.

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Ali Bovis

3/10/2016 10:05:20 am

What an amazing post!! Thanks so much for all the great suggestions! I especially LOVE Waiting!!

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Gabrielle Schoeffield

3/12/2016 09:39:54 am

I am going through all the ReFoReMo posts for a second read.
Thanks for all the great information. I am applying this to the revisions I am about to make in my 12 by 12 manuscripts!

thanks...I'm especially interested in evaporation as a metaphor for death and transition...gotta get reading.

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Lenne' Musarra

3/16/2016 12:18:47 am

Thanks for the post and mentor texts. I especially liked the theme of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, the tension in The Dark , the word play and theme of Explanation Mark, the simplicity of The Way Back Home, the example of a circular story in Shh We Have a Plan and the humor between words and illustrations in If You Want to See A Whale. Thank you also for all that you do to help picture book writers hone the craft!

“Put every word on trial for its life!” Great quote - now to put it into practice. these are great mentor texts.

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Myrna Foster

3/29/2016 02:19:07 pm

Thanks for these great examples! Weeding out unnecessary words is so important.

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Illustration by Lori Nawyn

ReFoReMo

March 1-31The ReFoReMo Challenge, or Reading for Research Month Challenge, was developed to help picture book writers reform writing by reading and researching picture books. Challenge registration opens February 15. To find out more or to subscribe to the Reading for Research Blog for weekly posts year round, visit our new exclusive site at www.reforemo.com.